Introduction

Although I now live in Seattle, Sturgis will always have a special place in my heart.  I grew up in eastern South Dakota, so I wasn't always right in the thick of things, but we always knew when rally was on because of the hundreds of bikes on every highway and interstate.  It was incredible!  I loved the sound of the bikes and watching them ride in formation.  It was like a ballet to me, with the baffled mufflers providing the music, and some very skilled riders dancing on the open road.  It called to me and I eventually answered.

This blog isn't just stories about the rally or motorcycles, although you will read a lot about both.  This is more about the town itself.  The locals are a fantastic cast of characters.  There are ones you will love and ones you will hate, just like everything else in life.  There will be stories that will make you laugh, and ones that will make you cry.  This is a story about life in a town that most people really know very little about.  I will discuss some history and try to show you the Sturgis that I know.

This will be the year round experience of Sturgis.  Everything from the quiet winters with nothing but the locals for entertainment (and entertain they did!) to the decadence and debauchery of the rally.  You will read about the transformation the town undergoes when the rally starts and when it ends.  I have at this point in my life experienced dozens of rallies, all of them different, and all of them full of stories.  Of course, names will be changed to protect the guilty.  Innocent people have nothing to fear so they are on their own.  Of course, the innocent people won't be making any headlines here, as most of them are incredibly boring.

I will be trying to post once or twice a week, but if you enjoy it you might want to subscribe so you can see when new stories are up.  Next post will be a little history lesson of how this beast we call the Sturgis Rally began!  Also, please feel free to share your Sturgis stories in the comments below.  I'd love to hear your experiences!